More Blind Than I Thought

My cousin and I dug around my parents old ski equipment and found some real gems. This is an example of the "intense skiing face."


The story so far;

The first day back in Colorado, my entire extended family shows up in a whirlwind of ski equipment and cliche, but well meant, exclamations (You look fabulous! Did you dye your hair? So I hear you're becoming a bum!). And the next few days were spent flying down slopes of new snow, making comic pratfalls the likes of which haven't been seen since the Three Stooges reigned. I snowboard, by the way, and was terrified that I had lost all skill since I had last gone (around the age of seventeen)so I took a lesson with my cousin Lauren. I noticed that our instructor was from Israel, a country that sparks my imagination. I imagine it to be some perfect representation of the Old World orthodox Jewish community. Oh, also a country full of superhuman fighters due to the mandatory two year military training everyone receives. Our instructor, Lanny, however has an American accent, told us to come back up to party for Spring Break (hangovers are helped by cold air and carving through new powder), and joked about parents who kept telling him to "grow up." Also, he was about two inches shorter than me, and pretty skinny.



My perceptions were totally off. What did I expect from someone from Israel? Some Hulk-sized dude wearing a yarmulke?

And that was lesson one of my first few days back. The other big one is that I shouldn't even bother making plans because God has made much more cosmically aligned ones already. I thought I was coming home to hang out and paint and play and write and sleep...but then...

my mom broke her ankle. Therefore, I will be filling in at the gym my parents own and training new employees often.

Trust me, I wanted to whine and cry and moan, but it can't be coincidence that I came home right when my parents needed me to. It's the difference between taking care of, and being taken care of.

This blog is sort of all over the place. I guess the whole point of it is...very rarely do my perceptions, preconceived notions, or plans ever really end up how I thought they would.

Also, I'll be right up front with you; I want to sell all I own and become a mountain-type bum.


The following song is what I've been listening to while writing this. And the album, The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place, is an amazing sonic trip. They don't use words to explain, so maybe I should just let them do their thing.

The First Breath After a Coma- Explosions in the Sky


And oh...right...on an unrelated musical tangent. Check out this incredible live recording of Jesus, Etc with Andrew Bird on violin during Wilco's five night stint in Chicago. No joke.

Jesus, Etc.- Wilco feat. Andrew Bird


One last thing. I watched the Oscars with the family and was so happy that the song from Once won over all those insipid Enchanted songs. Here's the lovely tune, played by Glen Hansard's band, The Frames.

Falling Slowly- The Frames


OK, now really, go do something else. I should!